October Preview

Whoa October is here. The fall colors seem to have come very quickly this year. We’ve had a fairly mellow week, but my thoughts go out to all those in Southwest Florida and those who were in Hurricane Ian’s path. The damage and flooding look devastating. To those in need: may you find help and get power back on soon. Not sure there are any words to console judging by the photos and epic scale of disaster. It’s just mind-boggling. 

Which reminds me we just finished watching the TV series Five Days at Memorial on AppleTV+ based on Sheri Fink’s prize-winning book about a hospital that’s cutoff in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It’s totally daunting. But the reconstructed set and cast featuring Vera Farmiga and Cherry Jones at the hospital are terrific. It’ll make you sweat and bring alive what horrible conditions so many went through then. Scary stuff. See it if you can face the ordeal.

Meanwhile I’ll have to add a spooky read to my stack this month since it’s Halloween time. Perhaps it’ll be another Shirley Jackson book. Are you planning to read anything scary, or take part in the RIP Challenge? I’m sure there’s a lot of good choices out there.

And now let’s dip into what’s new releasing this month. In fiction, there’s a lot of notable well-known authors who have novels coming out. And I’m pretty much sticking to those authors’ books for my five picks this month. Usually I branch out to other lesser-known authors, but this time I’m just too curious to read what the big guns are putting out. 

First due out is Celeste Ng’s novel Our Missing Hearts (releasing Oct. 4), which is set in a dystopian near future, about a son who is trying to find his mother in an America where the U.S. government is separating families and normalizing violence against Asian Americans.

It’s a family drama during a scary time. As Kirkus Reviews writes: “Taut and terrifying, Ng’s cautionary tale transports us into an American tomorrow that is all too easy to imagine.” Yikes. I’ve read and liked Ng’s other two novels so I plan to read this new one as well. 

Next up is Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel Demon Copperhead (due out Oct. 18),which is said to be a modern-day adaptation of David Copperfield about a boy’s coming of age in southern Appalachia’s Lee County, Virginia. Kingsolver’s account draws on the impact of the opioid epidemic on Appalachia and details the boy’s life as he struggles through foster care, hunger, and rural hardships. It sounds good and comes about four years after her last novel Unsheltered in 2018. Kingsolver has lived with family on a farm in southern Virginia since 2004, after many years prior to that in southern Arizona.

Then there’s George Saunders’s latest short story collection Liberation Day (due out Oct. 18), which features nine new stories. I have not read his much heralded short story collections before, but I did like his creative prize-winning 2017 novel Lincoln in the Bardo. Who can forget that?

Publishers Weekly says his new collection includes quieter character studies than his other collections but has enough to satisfy his longtime fans. Will it?

Though if you’re looking for a more involved novel, perhaps Signal Fires (due out Oct. 18) by Dani Shapiro could be just the drama. It’s about the connections between two families in suburban New York, whose lives crisscross most notably over two fateful nights: one with a death and the other a birth. Hmm. Meg Wolitzer calls it a “haunting, moving, and propulsive exploration of family secrets.” I have not read Shapiro before, but this is her first novel in 15 years after her 2019 memoir Inheritance, which was quite a success. 

Lastly in novels, there’s either The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy (due out Oct 25) or John Irving’s latest The Last Chairlift (releasing Oct. 18), which is a boggling 912 pages. I think I’ll go with McCarthy’s novel as my final pick as Irving’s seems too meandering and long. Publishers Weekly calls it an “overblown and underplotted behemoth of a novel” that apparently will test a reader’s patience. Still there might be moments of glory in it.  

As for McCarthy, his new one features a salvage diver in New Orleans who’s tasked with investigating a plane crash in the Gulf. Hmm. The novel is part one of a two-volume set with the second novel called Stella Maris coming in December. It sounds good and it’s been awhile since I last read McCarthy whose unforgettable novel The Road came out in 2006. 

In screen releases this month, Cate Blanchett in the movie Tár (due out Oct. 7) is getting the most positive hype. It’s a psychological drama about a great classical music composer/conductor, played by Blanchett, who becomes the first female chief conductor of a major German orchestra. I gather from the trailer she goes a little off the deep end in the process but we will see.

I will watch most projects Blanchett does, though I was too disturbed to see her play conservative Phyllis Schlafly in the TV series Mrs. America, so I probably last saw her in the movies Carol in 2015 and Blue Jasmin from 2013. 

Other than that, the Shantaram series on AppleTV+ (releasing Oct. 14) might be worth seeing. It’s based on the popular 2003 novel by Gregory David Roberts about a bank robber and addict who escapes prison in Australia and flees to Bombay, India, where he reinvents himself as a doctor in slums in the 1980s. Many readers swear by the book, which they say is awesome but it’s also 944 pages. Have you read it? It might be a good retirement read. The author’s followup novel The Mountain Shadow came out in 2015. The TV series features British actor Charlie Hunnam in the main role as Lin, and the series was shot on location in India and Australia. 

A couple other notable movies look to be Till (due out Oct. 14) about the mother of Emmet Till (played by Danielle Deadwyler) and her pursuit of justice after her son’s ruthless death in 1955, and Armageddon Time (out Oct. 28) about a boy’s coming of age and his family in Queen’s New York during the 1980s, which stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, and Anthony Hopkins. Both films look quite good and might be considered as Oscar contenders.

But if you’re looking for something lighter, the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise (out Oct. 21) starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts as a divorced couple trying to stop their daughter’s wedding in Bali might be the ticket. The only trouble is it’s gotten pretty weak ratings and reviews so far. Still if you’re looking for a laugh or two, it might suffice.

And finally in music this month, there’s new albums by Taylor Swift, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers among others. But perhaps I will choose the new one by the folk band Bonny Light Horseman called Rolling Golden Holy (due out Oct. 7) for my pick this month. It’s the band’s second album whose first one I loved. Here is a live session that the three-person group recorded in July in Nashville. 

That’s all for now.  What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to this month? Happy October.

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34 Responses to October Preview

  1. Lark says:

    I’m glad it’s October! I like this time of year. And I am hoping to read a few scarier and more spooky books this month. And watch a few scary movies, too. 😀

    • Susan says:

      Hi Lark. Yeah October is nice. It’ll get spooky soon, LOL. Enjoy your scary books & movies. I need to buy some pumpkins asap to get in the spirit.

  2. I will have to check out the new Barbara Kingsolver as she is one of my favorites. And Till looks really interesting as well. Thank you for the recommendations.

    Oh, and that photo of the Fall foliage? Beautiful!

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Helen. I like the fall colors as well. Something about the surrounding nature colors puts one in the right mood. The Kingsolver novel looks good! Happy October to you.

  3. Harvee says:

    Our Missing Hearts sounds very good and am looking forward to reading it.

    • Susan says:

      Yeah Harvee – I agree. The novel looks like another winner from Ng. I plan to get to it too. Her family dramas take you down a path you can’t turn away from. Enjoy your week.

  4. I’m looking forward to the October books, Kingsolver’s and Ng’s in particular.

  5. Catherine says:

    I’m curious to see what you think of the Kingsolver. I have it on hold but probably won’t get it until January!

    My October reading starts moving away from new releases to backlist, but I am very interested in the Dani Shapiro novel and in the new Anthony Bourdain biography.

    We just got Apple TV and we’re binging on Morning Show and Ted Lasso- which is the silly delight I need these days.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Catherine. Great hearing from you. Yeah Apple TV is good these days. We watched the Morning Show (Season 1 our favorite of the two) … and 5 days at Memorial has some great acting & sets. I liked some Lasso too!
      My reading has been pretty derailed these days due to trying to sell a house & renovating the new one. We are moving to the country so it’s crazy in my head – so who knows when I’ll get to Kingsolver. Appalachia will have to fend for itself, LOL. I hope you are feeling settled again in the NW. What a trek!
      Happy reading.

  6. Gretchen says:

    Lots of good things coming out in October. Five Days at Memorial sounds fascinating. The new Cormac McCarthy sounds interesting. I am planning to read Dracula in October. I have never read it and it seems like a good time to do so. Have a good October!

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Gretchen. Great hearing from you. Dracula should be a perfect October read. I don’t think I’ve read the original either. I need to get pumpkins & start getting in the right Halloween mood.
      And the series: 5 days at Memorial is pretty riveting watching. I heard the book was also great. I’m feeling cautious about the new McCarthy novel … but will get on the library list for it. Happy October & reading to you!

  7. Carmen says:

    Hi Susan, hope all is well. The pic above is beautiful. Here the leaves are turning too. I got a three-month Apple TV+ offer but I have yet to try it. I read Liberation Day: Stories and found it a mix bag. I’m eager to see the adaptation of Shantaram; I got the kindle book on sale awhile ago, but that page count is off putting. I haven’t read or seen anything since mid-July; August and September were roller coaster months. I hope your house sells soon and you move to the new one, if you haven’t.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Carmen, thanks for stopping by. Yeah I can relate to being off reading a bit from July thru Sept. I’m sure you have stuff going on & the move here has derailed my wheels. Roller coaster is right. I hope you are okay & family. We got the keys to the new place & spent our first weekend there (which was exciting). We have renovations starting soon & will not move in till December (which is a weird time to move). So still trying to sell our house. With the rate hikes, it’s tough. Apple TV+ seems the way to go these days. We will try Shantaram. I remember you saying Liberation Day was mixed. Hmm. Will short stories help my small attention span these days? hmm. Happy October to you.

  8. Diane says:

    Fall is always a great time for anticipated releases. My top must reads in October are: Demon Copperfield, The Last Chairlift,Our Missing Hearts and The Maze (John Corey series); Demille.

    I liked the book Five Days at Memorial and hadn’t realized this was now a series.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Diane: Yeah the series of Five Days at Memorial is pretty riveting; 8 episodes on AppleTV+. You have a great line-up of books this month, so I look forward to hearing what you think. Enjoy & Happy October.

  9. Stargazer says:

    Fall colours are so pretty! It’s true the transition from summer was quie quick, which is a shame. For some reason I love those days… None of the new releases are tempting me, which is probably a good thing. I only managed to read one book in Sep. Hopefully Oct will be better…

    • Susan says:

      Thanks for getting in touch Stargazer. Sounds like you are working a lot. Yeah the fall is like the best time of year here. I hope you get to enjoy the pretty colors on weekends. Happy October!

  10. I’m happy it’s October. Fall is my favorite season, even if we don’t really get much of a fall around here.

    I bet Five Days at Memorial is riveting. The book was fantastic.

    Demon Copperhead is a book I’m eagerly waiting to read. I’d like to look for the new collection of stories by George Saunders, too.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Deb, I bet it’s nice when it cools off there a bit. The series Five Days at Memorial is really good. Psychological for sure.
      I look forward to hearing what you think of the books. I’m a bit behind so who knows when I will get to some of these. Happy October!

  11. Lesley says:

    Your fall colors are very pretty, Susan. We saw some beautiful aspens in Montana and Idaho, which makes me long to travel more in the fall months. Wyoming and Colorado are high on my list for the next year or two.

    I’ve been meaning to read Five Days at Memorial ever since it was published. Now maybe I’ll just watch the series. I don’t know if it’s something my husband would want to watch, though. Too upsetting.

    I have an ARC (on audio) for Our Missing Hearts and look forward to that. I haven’t read anything by Ng, so I hope I enjoy this one.

    I also have an ARC (print) of Kingsolver’s new book. I let my mom read it while we were traveling and I’m disappointed that she didn’t like it at all. She didn’t care for The Poisonwood Bible, either, and that’s one I loved, so maybe I’ll enjoy this one more than she did.

    Liberation Day is another early release audiobook I was fortunate to receive. I haven’t read anything by George Saunders, but this sounds like a winner.

    I’ve read a couple of books by Dani Shapiro and look forward to Signal Fires. I thought Inheritance was good, but enjoyed Devotion quite a bit more.

    I’ve only read one book by John Irving (A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I read twice), so I’m not fan-girl enough to plow through a 900+ novel that isn’t getting a great review from PW. I loved The Road and All the Pretty Horses, so I may give The Passenger a try.

    Thanks for all the previews! Hope you have a great month.

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Lesley, you know quite a bit about these authors. So much to read right? The fall colors here seem to have already peaked and are falling off now. Argh much to rake in the yard soon. I have yet to read a Kingsolver novel?! Which seems weird but my husband was blown away by The Poisonwood Bible. I need to get on the stick about her books. Thx for the tip about Shapiro’s Devotion. I’m a bit behind so who knows when I’ll get to all these. Still they are on my radar. I hope you are enjoying being back at the Cove. I plan to stop by your site soon. Happy October!

  12. Heather says:

    Looks beautiful up there!
    The devastation of Hurricane Ian is awful. My friend just got her power back yesterday but a neighbor across the street is on a different grid and it still hasn’t been restored. It’s going to be a long haul for rebuilding.
    I will have to watch Five Days at Memorial. Looks like a lot to watch it, though. I may have to wait until Spring. I’m still working my way through the new Ken Burns documentary on the U.S. and the Holocaust. So hard.
    I’ve had my eye on the new Barbara Kingsolver novel. I’ve enjoyed her books immensely.
    I hope you pick up a spooky book for this month! I’ve been reading a few for RIP.
    Have a great week!

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Heather. The Ian aftermath looks like a nightmare. I had no idea the population of FLA had been growing that much. Just reading about that now. I’ll have to see if I can still get the Burns documentary … I missed recording it, argh. Though I wonder if it’s too bleak right now — still it’s important viewing.
      I’ll have to stop by and see what spooky books you’re reading. It’s starting to get dark pretty early now so feels more like Halloween type of reading. Boo! Hope you have a blast this month … with hikes & outdoor stuff. So pretty. Cheers.

  13. mae says:

    That’s a great list — October really does promise some good reading. I wonder about that statement about Barbara Kingsolver moving to Virginia — makes it sound like it was recent, but it was in 2004 and she has written more than one book about it.

    Happy reading to you!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    • Susan says:

      Hi Mae, You’re right I should edit that sentence as that is a long time Kingsolver as since moved. Thx for the correction. I still see her in Arizona but no longer! Much coming out this month. Happy reading.

  14. JaneGS says:

    Such an abundance of new books. I am excited to read The Last Chairlift–Aspen as I knew it!–and Our Missing Hearts and Demon Copperfield. Where to begin!?!

    • Susan says:

      Hello Jane. I too knew Aspen once. I lived there after college for several years so I snagged a copy of the new Irving book too. But have no time to start it yet — so much else on the platter. I’m curious how much Aspen figures in the book — I know in the first pages he talks of the Hotel Jerome which is also where I spent some happy hours, LOL. Happy October to you!

  15. I don’t know when I will get a chance to watch Five Days at Memorial since it’s not on one of the streaming services we get, but I have wanted to read the book since it first came out.

    It sounds like there are some great books coming out this month. I haven’t read anything by Celeste Ng although I keep telling myself I will. Her new book sounds just as good as her others. I hope it will be.

    I hope you are able to fit in some great spooky reads this month! Have a great week and October!

    • Susan says:

      Hi LF, thanks for stopping by, good to hear from you. Yes Celeste Ng’s new novel – I think -maybe looks even better than her first two books so I’m interested to get it. It’s a bit dystopian so we will see. And the nonfiction book of Five Days at Memorial must be very powerful (I have not read it yet) but the TV series was really compelling. Sad too.
      I better get on the spooky books soon. October is flying by! Hope you have a great month.

  16. Vicki says:

    Beautiful dog and I love all the trees!

    I loved The Swimmers but agree her writing style was very diffirent.

    I am a huge animal lover so I’m adding On Animals to my lst for ’23.

    I want to watch Five Days At Memorial. We didn’t have any serious damage during Hurricane Katrina but the winds were rough.

    My daughter and I plan on seeing Ticket to Paradise when it comes near us. Clooney & Roberts both are among my favorites.

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Vicki, our yellow Labs sort of match the fall trees right now. And yeah I’m hoping that Ticket to Paradise with Clooney & Roberts is fun. We could use some comedy about now. Five Days at Memorial is a really good series, though a bit intense. I was glad to see you liked The Swimmers – so I picked it up. You might like On Animals – there’s quite a wide variety of all sorts of animals in the essays in that book. See what you think. Have a great week.

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